


The Clouds of Memories

by sleepymery



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Boys' Love, Heavy Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, One-Sided Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto, Read at Your Own Risk, Sad Ending, Unrequited Love, definitely no fluff, i warned you, no boys cuddling or getting together here, seriously this is not the kind you might like to read, there's no happy ending in this
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-13
Updated: 2017-01-19
Packaged: 2018-09-17 05:57:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 6,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9308438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sleepymery/pseuds/sleepymery
Summary: The grey sky, the ashen clouds, the pouring rain, the raging storm.He knew the reason of why bitterness exists in reality, of the suffocation in the chest, of cold and numb on the skin, of dying regardless of breathing still. Something named as grief. Together with joy, the two proved the existence of human’s life.





	1. Chapter 1

Sasuke was staring longingly towards the blue sky with the lingering puffs of white above his head. The weather is clear with some brief winds. A peaceful day, so quite and still. The solitude surrounding the man was giving him the tranquility.

 

A breeze that passed by was caressing his raven hairs. Then Sasuke closed his eyes. Making way for the winds to take him back afloat through a story long since carved in the niche of his deepest memory.

 

* * *

 

 

The clear and bright morning without winds, had somewhat shifted into a pack of grey clouds ready to shower its buckets of water as the school just rang the last bell for the day. Several students were moving about under the bicycles parking roof of Konoha High School. Crowded and vociferous. Those were the impressions when one was seeing the place.

 

A young man in black jacket was standing in the outer line of the parking area with a navy blue colored bicycle on his right and black-orange one on his left. His onyx eyes were observing the area before him as he looked for a certain someone amongst the bustling students before the rain managed to fall.

 

After a while, his eyes found the person. A young man in a rather disheveled uniform, with his bright orange hairs that seemed to poke randomly at many directions, and a set of signature lines that graced his cheeks slightly gave him the resemblance to that of a fox. The man was running straight to his way. By the time that man approached the black-orange bicycle on his side, the young Uchiha smiled thinly.

 

“It looks like the rain will be quite a downpour this time,” said the boy with a flat voice.

 

“Who cares? Why did you leave me behind?” the orange-haired boy asked with an accusing tone.

 

“Well, you were doing your cleaning duty and Kakashi- _sensei_ was calling me. Furthermore, what do I gain from waiting for you _there_ if we’re to meet up _here_ anyway?” replied the boy calmly.

 

“Okay, _fine_. Alibi accepted. Now, let’s go! I’m gonna be late,” the Uzumaki said as he climbed onto his black-orange bicycle.

 

“Why don’t you skip the work once in a while? Your boss is nice towards you, there’s no way he will cut your salary just because you’re absent for one day, right?” the young Uchiha suggested as he climbed onto the navy blue bicycle on his right—his bicycle.

 

“I’m just trying to follow the rules. Why the sudden suggestion anyway? Isn’t it good for me? It was you who told me to take part time job in that café. Or maybe you are…” the Uzumaki said as he started to pedal his bicycle exactly where he deliberately left his sentence hanging unfinished.

 

“Hn?” the young Uchiha was now trying to keep his bicycle up with the one belonged to the youngest Uzumaki.

 

“You’re missing me, huh, Sasuke?” he said with a mischievous smirk, intending to tease the young Uchiha on his side.

 

The young male called Sasuke could feel his heart beat a little faster than normal. Somehow, the light joke from his bestfriend found a way to perturb his mind and the question left to tickle the content of his heart. The two indeed rarely had anymore time to hang out together since the Uzumaki—Naruto—had started to take a part time job in a small café located quite a distance from their places.

 

“Hn. I’m not missing you, _dobe_. It’s just the weather is clearly will not turn shiny and bright at this point. Who on earth will want to eat on an outdoor café with these heavy looking clouds?” the raven haired male denied instantly.

 

The two passed the school gate and turn into the sidewalk for cyclists beside the desolate roadway. Konoha High School was located at the most outer side of Konoha city, the most northen and the most remote area compared to the other corners of Konoha city itself.

 

The young man called ‘ _dobe’_ didn’t reply to Sasuke’s words. Instead, he was pedalling his bicycle onto the roadway, laughing heartily and smiling widely due to the sudden jolt made by his tires which befell onto the lower concrete asphalt.

 

One second later, a loud voice belonged to Sasuke was heard, calm but still delivered hastily, a giveaway that he was slightly worried, “Hey, Naruto! Don’t go into the roadway! It’s dangerous! Hey!”

 

Sasuke raised his voice at the end—was forced to since Naruto decided to increase his speed instead, and even worse, the young male was playing with his course, making a wobble-like trail along the road, leaving Sasuke in a panic state in case his bestfriend skidded above the slippery wet track due to the beginning of raindrops that little by little befalling the earth.

 

 _‘Tch! Dumbass!’_ Sasuke cursed silently, while he proceeded to follow Naruto onto the roadway and hasten his pace.

“Hey, Naruto! Wait for me!”


	2. Chapter 2

_Ttrrrt… Trrrtt…_

 

An orange flipped phone which was put randomly above a desk beside a single bed in the middle of a bedroom was vibrating stubbornly, making Naruto who was currently coiling himself comfortably beneath a blanket slid his head a bit out of his warm zone. His eyes narrowed—clearly pissed off.

 

Naruto had been ignoring three previous calls before. And it seemed that this person trying to get through was so adamant, or simply stubborn. Who on earth had the heart to wake him up at this far too early hour in his peaceful holiday?

 

 _‘Oh, of course it’s that_ teme _. Who else?’_ his inner self said, then pushed his right hand sluggishly to grab the phone still consistent with its vibration.

What an unfortunate morning for Naruto, as his arm wasn’t long enough to touch even the phone hanging decoration by the edge of the desk, instead he unceremoniously fell from his soft mattress where he had been lying down on the entire night. It was obviously due to his unbalanced position by the edge of the bed.

 

“Hwaaaa!” unmanly shriek was heard along with the momentum of his body being mid-air, a ringing reflex from his subconscious that his body was flying down onto the cold and merciless tiles in this cloudy and chilly morning.

_Thumpp…!_

 

“Ahh… Damn…” he grumbled under his breath while wiping gently to his nose. It had met with the floor quite harsh, and he immediately took care of it due to the painful greeting he got.

_Trrtt… Trrrtt…_

 

The phone’s vibration was still there quite annoyingly. The hand of the young man was lifted and he promptly touched the little decoration in the form of a nine-tailed fox which was hanging freely by the edge of the desk. The innocent object was pulled harshly, making the orange phone hanging like a lead in the air. In a flash he lowered the phone until it touched the floor, flipped the phone open and put it above his right ear and cheek. He took in a long breath.

 

“WHAT DISASTER IS HAPPENING THERE THAT YOU CALL ME AT THIS UNGODLY HOUR, _TEMEEE_?!!!!” he shouted angrily.

 

A young male at the end of the line immediately put some distance with the black phone speaker on his hand. He needed to react fast unless he wanted to be deaf in young age.

 

After a while without either of them speaking, the young man—Sasuke—put back his phone to his ear.

 

 _“Hey, hey! Is that how you greet your pal who just comes home from a long trip? I’m dead tired, you know!”_ said the young man.

“Heh! Do you think I’m not tired? I was waiting for you in the airport, sitting stupidly there until midnight, then what? Your flight was delayed until morning! It’s frustrating me, I swear!” Naruto reciprocated, not willing to back down.

 

 _“If it’s about the delay, then it’s not my fault. Don’t put the blame on me,_ dobe _!”_ Sasuke replied with the same intensity.

“Aakhh…! Fine then, fine! Now what?! You want me to spare my _ramen_ breakfast for the pilot? Hell no!” Naruto said with a scowl on his face.

 

 _“Who wants that anyway? I want you to pick me up at the airport now. Hurry up, okay!”_ Sasuke said and promptly ended the line, not giving Naruto the chance to object to his order.

Naruto who was still lying above the floor just stared heatedly at his flipped phone that stayed open, sending a death glare as if the phone itself was the representation of Sasuke.

 

“CURSED YOU, ASSHOOOLE…!!” he shouted vehemently.

 

On another side of town, in the one and only airport to exist in Konoha, a young handsome man named Sasuke just smiled triumphantly. Before him was parked a black car with its baggage full of his belongings. His older brother, who happened to be his chauffeur for today, had seated himself comfortably before the steering wheel, waiting for the little brother to come inside. Sasuke then entered the car and seated beside his brother.

 

“We’ll visit _Otou-san’s_ grave first, then we’ll go home after,” Itachi, the older of the two, said with a flat tone.

 

“Hn,” Sasuke replied shortly as the car began to move.

 

Sasuke stared out through the closed window. The sky outside looked greyish and dark, the whole town was overcast. It was likely to rain heavily soon.

 

And Naruto had to _pick him up_ to the airport.

 

A smile, or rather a smirk, found a place in Sasuke’s feature.

 

_‘I can pull up a trick on that kid too, right?’_


	3. Chapter 3

The loud ringing of bell quickly put the students of class 12-B into a hasty scramble as they hurried themselves to their own seats. They were well aware that the day was Monday, and the second subject of that day would be filled by Ibiki- _sensei_ , and that particular _sensei_ was the most punctual teacher, the most discipline, and the deadliest amongst the list of deadly teachers. When a single student was found doing a mistake during his class, whether it was intentional or not, it would lead into a punishment dropped onto the whole class inhabitants, without exception. That being said, everyone in the class had come to a silent agreement that they didn’t want to encounter another punishment after their first semester of full sufferings on almost monthly basis due to some reckless behaviors of a couple of students.

 

Not even a minute later, Ibiki- _sensei_ stepped into the class with his terrifying and intimidating face—from the students’ point of view of course—just like usual. And Naruto didn’t pay attention to the figure at all. It was highly likely that he wasn’t even aware to the ringing bell prior.

 

Naruto was staring so lovingly to a young female who was seated at second front column next to his row, sitting so shy diagonally across from the young Uzumaki.

 

Sasuke who sat right behind Naruto _tsk­-_ ed with apparent sulky mood. He knew very well the person who had attracted Naruto’s attention for the entire month. The said person had come as a new student since the first day of the second term, and the girl had immediately seized many students’ general interest due to her delicate beauty and her shy but sweet nature, not to mention about the fact spiralling around about her returning back to Konoha after long since lived in the far-away land.

 

Hyuuga Hinata.

 

Hinata had just enrolled as a new student of Konoha High School more or less a month ago, and she had enraptured a longing staring from Naruto—which in turn made Sasuke’s emotion churned into something so foreign within him.

 

Sasuke was his best friend since they were little kids, and Naruto had always openly acknowledged him as a bestfriend who would always stand by his side. While on the other hand, Sasuke was keeping a forbidden feeling towards the blonde, which from time to time had always been a nagging feeling inside. It was an emotion he had denied and disavowed before, but instead of dissipating away, it was clear that day by day his effort was to remain as a futile attempt. He couldn’t avoid from his growing feeling toward that certain tangerine-lover boy.

 

“Uzumaki- _san_! I’ll ask you this time to answer the question on the board. Uzumaki- _san_!”

 

 _‘_ Shit _. Naruto didn’t even hear Ibiki-_ sensei _at all. We’re all doomed,’_ said Sasuke’s inner conscious.

_Thump…!_

 

The innocent eraser created a loud thunder into the eerily quiet room as its hard side violently crashed against the whiteboard, startling as well unsettling most students occupying the room. _Most_ of them, since there was one particular student who failed to see the obvious tension hanging so thickly in the air.

 

 _‘Eeh! What was that sound? That shocked me I swear-,’_ Naruto thought after he was abruptly jolted by the loud sound of the eraser. But it seemed that he wasn’t completely snapped out of his reverie yet.

 

“Uzumaki- _san_!”

_‘Eeeh! Ibiki-_ sensei _is in class already?! This is bad!’_ his internal shrieked as he was starting to come back to reality. A drop of nervous sweat found its way to flow down from his forehead due to the sudden fear and panic attack.

“You didn’t seem to be aware of me at all. Hmm… Fine then… Maybe you’re still sleepy this morning, if that so, let me freshen you up all at once—,”

 

In that very second, almost half of the class was trying to swallow down the heavy lumps on their respective throats, the other half was sweating cold sweats, and a handful of them was silently praying that this year Ibiki- _sensei_  had found a profound benevolence in his life and in turn had changed his sadistic antics into something more humanly acceptable. A wishful thinking that lived for a milisecond before it was burned mercilessly.

 

“—run around the school for one lap, go upstairs until the highest floor of the school, then get back downstairs to this class. I give you thirty minutes to complete it. Get up on your feet and start to run, now!”

 

Fantastic. They hadn’t started on running yet, and they felt like throwing up already. Pairs of eyes automatically sent piercing glares to one bright orange spot namely Naruto. Just imagine, one full lap around the school could be counted for 500 metres, add up to the tiring trip up and down the stairs of KHS 4-stories building. Perhaps Ibiki- _sensei_ was currently in search of someone to join the marathon running competition in the upcoming olympics. Damn.

 

After they managed to drag their feet out of the door, dark clouds had been dominating the sky. It was likely that in a handful of minutes, and the translucent drips of fluids would be ready to pour down onto the earth with great pleasure, soaking the students of class 12-B that on that day were made pissed off so bad towards a certain Uzumaki. How unfortunate.

 

It was unmistakebly due to his reckless act of only paying attention to the Hyuuga’s girl.

 

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Making a certain Uchiha on that class to feel another slash within his heart as his chest felt more suffocated even more.


	4. Chapter 4

“Itachi! Do you know where Sasuke is?” a grown up woman who wore a knee-length purple gown asked with panic laced on her face to a man in blue shirt who was just walking through the kitchen’s door.

 

“Hm? Sasuke makes his escape again?” said Itachi calmly, as if his words had been a mere statement than a serious question.

 

“Yes, Sasuke is nowhere to be seen after I left him alone in his room. I thought he might need some time for himself. But after I got back to check on him, he’s gone. I was looking for him everywhere, but it’s like he went invisible in this house,” the woman explained while trying to supress her surfacing anger.

 

“Please calm down, _Okaa-san_. I’m sure he’s still here, in this house. I will find him for you. You can go to Sakura instead, I think she’s pretty nervous. Don’t worry about Sasuke, okay?” Itachi said while smiling.

 

The woman named Mikoto was starting to ease her mind due to her son’s reassurance. She sighed a tired breath and spoke, "Fine,“I’ll leave Sasuke to you, Itachi. Remember, the engagement will start in 30 minutes, and he can’t be late.”

 

“Yes, yes. _Okaa-san_ shouldn’t be worried about it. Sasuke won’t be late. I promise,” Itachi said.

 

Naruto who was sitting on a chair right by the kitchen’s door while sipping on his orange juice clearly heard the two people’s conversation. And Naruto knew for one thing that Itachi was highly unlikely to find Sasuke on any corner of the Uchiha’s mansion.

 

Considering that fact led Naruto to stand up from his seat, put the expensive empty glass onto the nearest table, walk out of the palace and take a stroll in the sidewalk. After a while, he entered a park area, which on one of its side was bordering with a conserved small area of woods. With a clear destination on his mind, Naruto stepped into the foliage, walking confidently towards a big wood with a small and simple-looking tree-house perched on it. He climbed up with the help of a series of short timbers nailed horizontally, making a way for him until he fully entered the tree-house.

 

Someone was sitting quietly on a simple wooden chair while he was gazing outside through an open window. His left foot was bent close to his cold body, and his arm was left hanging freely while resting on his risen knee. The plain wooden wall was directly to his right side. His slightly hunched frame was covered by a set of outfit in the form of magenta-colored shirt, with a loose black tie by his collar, while his black suit was left to rest by the edge of the window. He might or might not realize the new presence that just came out of the square cut on the floor, namely Naruto.

 

“Hehh, here you are. You never change, _teme_ ,” Naruto spoke after he regained his tall composure inside the tree-house. His voice made the said person—Sasuke—turn around to his direction, apparently wasn’t expecting someone to find him in that place. But after he realized whose voice it belonged to, he let out a sigh. Whether due to a wash of relieved of  finding that ‘someone’ to be his only bestfriend, or because his exhausted heart, a space in which he kept inside the stack of untold feelings to the man who just found him there.

 

“Hm?” Naruto furrowed an eyebrow, purely perplexed. Sasuke definitely looked different than his usual self. Heck, not only _looked_ different, but the man before him might simply be an imposter of some kind.

 

The male before him, instead of throwing back a remark, was back to his blank staring towards the dark sky outside. His gaze was deeply solemn, as if his entire life had been brought away by the breeze of an early rain.

 

Naruto slowly but sure took a step forward towards the Uchiha.

 

“Hey, Sasuke,” he spoke while calmly walking ahead.

 

No reply whatsoever. Even his entire body remained still, that figure with dark orbs.

 

In that very moment, Naruto understood. He stopped walking. He was now aware of the young man in front of him, that he was indeed _the_ Uchiha Sasuke. He got it just now.

 

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	5. Chapter 5

_Craackk_ _.._ _Claackk_ _...._ _Crackkk_ _...._

 

The sound of click-crack of the wooden roof covering the tree-house was beginning to be increasingly loud due to the blast of harsh breathing winds, bringing along a horde of ash-colored clouds amongst the dark night which formerly had been lit by the hesitant glow of the crescent moon.

 

Naruto began to take quiet steps forward. He was walking closer, until he stood right beside his bestfriend’s slumping form. He silently observed his friend’s expression from close range, and it only served to confirm his initial speculation. His bright blue irises intantly drooped. He knew Sasuke dislike the night’s event. He might even detest it.

 

Naruto let out a soundless breath, trying to fix the color of his face back to live, setting his grin back to his foxy appearance, and proclaimed, “You’re truly beyond lucky, Sasuke.”

 

Sasuke flicked his eyes slightly to the blond. He wasn’t expecting such words to flow out of that big-mouthed _dobe_ standing before him. His mild bewilderment was shown both on his front and eyes.

 

Naruto had that foxy grin back as he rubbed his finger under his nose. He took one step ahead and stood right in front of Sasuke, facing Sasuke fully in those obscure eyes possessed by the young Uchiha, and easily put some of his weight down onto the plain solid round wooden edge of the window sill. The black suit belonged to Sasuke was now moved in between his crossed arms.

 

“You’re really fortunate to be betrothed to Sakura, you know,” Naruto claimed with a light note on his voice yet his eyes were serious. Naruto was simply oblivious about how his words were like a hooting mockery to Sasuke’s ears, whose expression instantly fell sour. Yet he kept on saying naught.

 

“Sakura is the only child of one of my _Oyaji’s_ succesful partner. Well, not as big as you Uchiha possess, but at least she will be the right girl and definitely the perfect half to complete you. Right?” Naruto said with his signature smile.

 

 _‘This is not perfect for me at all,_ dobe. _This fate of mine is far from complete without you,’_ Sasuke thought grimly. Yet he still tried not to show his hurt feeling to Naruto who was currently staring right into his eyes. He wouldn’t let him know the feeling inside his locked heart filled with anguish and misery.

“I wonder myself, will I ever be able to find my other half, huh? Ahahaa,” said Naruto with forced laughter. “Will Hinata ever accept me as who I am?” he said merely above whisper, slightly looking up with a wishful look reflected upon his eyes.

 

Without Naruto ever realizing, Sasuke—who sat silently before him the entire time—just got another unwanted incision right upon the core of his heart. One more cause of an old wound that led to a new pain engraved.

 

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	6. Chapter 6

_Whuuushh..._

 

Winds hissing, leaving a warning of unforeseen presence of the rain clouds. Just a moment later and dark clouds were covering the dim rays of what was left of the crescent moon, which albeit not as bright as the full moon, Sasuke could still capture the lingering shine glowing around the young man before him.

 

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One fleeting second, and the moon was seen no more.

 

One following second, and Naruto held his stare back to Sasuke. A pair of brilliant ocean locked gazes with the deep obsidian orbs. One that radiated pure hope, clashed with a set of void missing its sole purpose of existence.

 

One more passing second, a tick on the clock that stretched like a lasting century.

 

One second, that Sasuke nothing but besought to freeze into a piece of eternity.

 

One second, that Naruto deemed in a different sense entirely.

 

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Naruto then put Sasuke’s black suit down onto the window sill beside him, and leaned his body slightly forward. His hands reached Sasuke’s black tie that hung loosely by his neck, and moved to tidy it up like the preferable look he ought to maintain for the night.

 

In every leaving second, an overflow of unending feelings was pounding hard on the great walls that the Uchiha’s youngest heir had built over the years. There was an overwhelming desire to pull the young man’s figure before his eyes to a tight embrace, someone who was so close now that he could catch the wonderful glistening in his blue oceanic eyes, yet so far away from his reach to become his. His tired eyes wouldn’t stop staring at the young man who had his heart stolen completely.

 

After he’d done with the black tie, Naruto put both of his palms on Sasuke’s slumping shoulders. The light in his eyes was calm and determined.

 

“Well, now is not the time for you to sit quietly here. You have an engagement in less than 30 minutes, and people are frantically looking for you at this moment. You can’t be late in your own house, can ya?” Naruto said with a sincere smile, his eyes gradually smiling as his grin turned wider as he spoke.

 

However, those sentences were like a mist of breeze to Sasuke’s ears. Another thing was quick to distract his entire attention. A distraction that surprised even himself, making it unbearable not to mention right away.

 

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	7. Chapter 7

“Well, now is not the time for you to sit quietly here. You have an engagement in less than 30 minutes, and people are frantically looking for you at this moment. You can’t be late in your own house, can ya?” Naruto said with a sincere smile, his eyes gradually smiling as his grin turned wider as he spoke.

 

However, those sentences were like a mist of breeze to Sasuke’s ears. Another thing was quick to distract his entire attention. A distraction that surprised even himself, making it unbearable not to mention right away.

 

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“Naruto, you used my perfume, didn’t you?” asked Sasuke with a low voice.

 

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…

 

Hearing that, Naruto was visibly startled. He didn’t expect Sasuke to find his hidden deed in a moment like that. Naruto started to have a bubbling panic, since he knew Sasuke didn’t particularly like it when his own belongings were touched, let alone used by other people.

 

“E..eh... ahh..., I, I… Didn’t mean to do it, really, the perfume is on your tab—ehh?” Naruto stuttered while scratching his not-itchy scalp, but his testimony was put into a stop due to an unexpected response he got in return.

 

Sasuke smiled. Yes, Sasuke was smiling with his gaze still on him. A very subtle one, but still visible nonetheless. Throughout the day and several days before, Sasuke was often seen with an absentminded look, even his smiles were mostly forced. Unlike this time, which was a simple arc on his lips yet it performed honesty so well and without having any effort whatsoever.

 

And Naruto didn’t have the faintest idea that he was the reason of that particular sincere smile on the Uchiha’s cold face.

 

The nuance was quiet for a handful of seconds, until Naruto followed suit. Not long after his smile widened into his signature grin.

 

To be able to witness pure joy from the blonde was somehow warming Sasuke’s frozen heart evenmore. He felt enchanted by the young male’s charm. And he felt grateful for the last chance to actually feel the typical comfort with Naruto before his passage of life drifted astray from his own choice.

 

Drop by drop of translucent fluid began to fall onto the face of the earth. It wouldn’t take long for the rain to dominate the sky.

 

Naruto who was the first to realize the drizzle outside then exclaimed, “Woaa! Sasuke, it’s raining! We gotta hurry up before it gets bad! C’mon!” In that instant he proceeded to grab Sasuke’s left arm and pull him hastily, albeit not harshly. Sasuke’s right hand moved on reflex to reach for his forgotten suit dangling on the window sill, and followed Naruto, who was being clumsy at the moment.

 

Sasuke looked longingly at Naruto’s back with a pained smile.

 

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_‘Let the clouds overcast my heart, as long as that rainbow never ceases from your eyes. I’m willing to let you go for the sake of your happiness, Naruto.’_


	8. Chapter 8

The sound of stack of paperworks touching the mahony table covered by thick glasses wasn’t as sharp compared to the mix of other present sounds on the youngest Uchiha’s personal working room. There was the latest flat television which was currently airing with a low volume about a flash news on the evening weather forecast with a topic of upcoming rain that would be pouring down on Konoha. There was the signature buzzing of a large air conditioner installed on the far corner of the room, as well as the low humming of a mini refrigerator that also took place on his office. There was also the resounding steps of Sasuke Uchiha that was busy walking from one point to another without ever staying at the same spot for too long. And his deep and typical baritone voice as well.

 

“Hn. Yes, I know. I know, _Okaa-san_. Yes, I’ll be home sooner today. I promise. Yes, yes. Hn. _Jaa na_ ,” Sasuke said while keeping his smartphone close to his left ear as his right hand was busy on the coffee table settled on his room. Just a handful of seconds after he ended the line he found the object he was looking for.

 

The remote for the television. He clicked on the power button and the television blinked to a black screen with a _beep_ sound, and after he threw back the remote onto the table he proceeded to his official table with a heavy sigh. He took place on his seat which was covered by expensive high-quality leather, and massaged his tired temples.

 

Today was the umpteenth day since workload on Uchiha’s office exploded brutally. Sasuke had been spending his time at least eighteen hours per day on his office for a week straight. It wasn’t due to a bad cause, instead their company was currently handling some massive projects to undergo at once. It was a huge and rare opportunity that he must pay with his sleeping hours on hold and his muscles at stake.

 

Something shocked him abruptly.

 

Without warning, the light on his room was off, leaving him in a total blackout.

 

_ZTAARRRR...!!!!_

 

The sound of thunder was barking furiously and it shook the six-story building belonged to Uchiha family. There wasn’t any lightning that cut through Sasuke’s room since it was a closed cube without any open window allowing access to the outside world.

 

Five seconds after the loud thunder, the electricity blinked back to life and kept its light. He immediately grabbed the phone on his table and pushed a quick-call number to his secretary. The line rang once before a man’s voice replied the call.

 

“Yes, Uchiha- _san_. What can I help you with?”

 

“I’m fine. Juugo, check the stability of the building’s electricity and the vicinity area. Make sure nothing’s affected after the last thunder. Once you’re done, report immediately to me and then you’re dismissed,” Sasuke ordered without any difficulty.

 

“Yes, Uchiha- _san_. I will commence to it right away,” replied the voice on the other end before Sasuke put back the phone and closed the conversation.

 

He had promised his Mother to be home sooner today. But he must ascertain that there wasn’t any damage left behind after the sudden blackout. Their company didn’t need extra work amidst the time-consuming projects at hand. Making sure of the building’s safety was the last important thing he needed to do before calling it a day.

 

While waiting for the report, he tidied up some stacks of paperworks decorating his table. His work wasn’t nearly complete at all, but since doing it on the same day now was out of option, he had to leave it for tomorrow. In the middle of his quick hands work, his smartphone on his pocket went off. He flicked his eyes downward.

 

 _‘Now what?’_ he thought tiredly.

He took the black phone out and his pupil went slightly bigger as he read the Id caller on the screen.

 

 _Dobe is calling_.

 

It had been months since Sasuke’s last contact with Naruto, six months ago to be exact. They were indeed getting rarer to meet up since Sasuke and Sakura’s wedding one year ago, and their encounter on a certain café they always hung out together at became their unplanned last meeting.

 

On the fifth ring, Sasuke slided his finger above the green button and brought up the thin rectangular object close to his ear.

 

“Hn,” Sasuke hummed slowly.

 

 _“Yo, Sasuke! It’s been a long time, huh? Ahaha, how’s life? I hear that your company signs a huge contracts to work with, huh? Wohoho, you Uchiha live up to your big name, hn? Hehhe,”_ Naruto said in one exhaling breath.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. Other people hearing Naruto like that would think that it was just Uzumaki’s way of speaking. But for Sasuke, Naruto was obviously not in his usual self, and he was sounded strange. He didn’t even need to be face-to-face, Sasuke just knew that Naruto had something behind his restrained voice.

 

 _‘Something’s wrong,’_ he thought.

 

“Yeah, we’re made real busy with it. I work everyday since early morning until midnight,” Sasuke said. He tried to play it along, as it had been too long since they had a conversation, and Sasuke wanted Naruto to be comfortable before he could ask.

 

 _“Hey, you gotta rest well, Sasuke. If you fall sick, who will be the boss, right?”_ Naruto said lightly.

“Yeah, yeah, _dobe_. How about you? Are you still working at the same company?” Sasuke asked.

 

 _“Ah, I’m still working there, but I was moved to another branch around four months ago. And I also moved out to a flat close to my office now. Oh right, how’s Sakura?”_ Naruto turned to ask.

Sasuke let out inaudible sigh. He replied, “Sakura’s fine. She’s at home.”

 

 _“Aah, I see. Anoo, I heard she’s… pregnant?”_ Naruto asked with a slower tone.

“Hn. Seven months,” Sasuke answered shortly.


	9. Chapter 9

“Hn. Seven months,” Sasuke answered shortly.

 

There wasn’t any response from the other end for several moments, until Naruto spoke up, _“Ah, so it’s seven months already, huh? Hm, congrats for you, Sasuke. You’ll be a Father real soon,”_ said Naruto with a pull up cheerful voice.

 

Sasuke’s eyes were back to slits. Not only he couldn’t accept the words from Naruto, but that childhood friend of his was being weird after all. It was like there was a restrain behind every words he spoke, like they were forced out lines made of careful thinking instead of being spantaneous response like it ought to be. At the end, the big question won over his mind.

 

“Naruto, you’re hiding something from me,” Sasuke proclaimed firmly. He didn’t voice it in a question, since he was convinced of the matter.

 

 _“Ehh? What d-do you mean,_ teme _? I’m not… not hiding anything from you, ‘kay…”_ Naruto replied weakly, clearly getting the pang from the Uchiha’s declaration.

Sasuke sighed another tired breath. “Drop it, Naruto. Just tell me anyway.”

 

Silence fell between the two for a lingering moment. Sasuke took an exclusive ballpoint on his table with his free left hand and stood up from his seat.

 

From the other end, there was a static sound humming low. Then Naruto’s voice greeted him back, with a soft tone this time. _“You never change, huh, Sasuke,”_ he said.

 

Sasuke walked towards the aquarium containing colorful fishes on one side of the room. His left hand was playing with the ballpoint, spinning and moving the object between his fingers effortlessly.

 

He smiled. Other people might get fooled by the fake joy of the perfect mask on the face of one Uzumaki Naruto, but for Sasuke, who had known the man since the time that he could barely recall himself, Naruto was simply like an open book. Sasuke waited patiently for Naruto to continue his words.

 

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_“Hey, Sasuke. What a heavy rain, huh?”_

Sasuke’s eyebrows furrowed. _‘Ah, right. It’s raining outside,’_ Sasuke thought.

 

Sasuke said, “I’m in my office right now, so I can’t see the rain. But there was indeed a loud thunder a while before. Hey, Naruto. You ain’t outside now, are you?” Sasuke asked with a slightly worried tone slipped through his lips. His left hand promptly stopped his ballpoint play.

 

 _“Ah, don’t worry. I’m in my flat right now. I’m just looking out through the window,”_ said Naruto.

Sasuke let out a relieved breath. His left hand was risen before his chest, and he continued his play with the ballpoint. Behind the focus, the aquarium contained colorful fishes swimming around became a unique background. Once again silence had settled between them. The atmosphere however was comfortable and somewhat calming.

 

 _“Hey, Sasuke.”_ Naruto called to his friend.

 

“Hn.”

 

_“I want to tell you something.”_

“Just spill it.”

 

 _“Right. So… You, remember Hinata, don’t ya?”_ Naruto asked with voice going smaller.

“Yeah, I do. Why?” Sasuke answered lightly. He kept on staring flatly at the ballpoint being played by his left hand.

 

_“Actually, Hinata’s pregnant. Two months.”_

“Really? I didn’t know she’s married already. When was the wedding?”

 

_“She’s… not married yet, Sasuke.”_

Sasuke was taken aback. “What?”

 

 _“You heard me, Sasuke. She’s not married yet until this very day,”_ Naruta proclaimed.

_‘So this is what bothers him. That’s why he sounds different. He’s brokenhearted apparently,’_ Sasuke mused to himself. However, before he got the time to say any words out, Naruto beat him into it.

_“That’s why I’m gonna marry her.”_

 

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End file.
